Monday, 18th May 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 18th May 2026, 5:21 PM
The Austrian national football team is preparing to make its highly anticipated return to the global stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bringing an end to a generation-spanning twenty-eight-year absence from the tournament. On Monday, 18 May 2026, Austria’s head coach, Ralf Rangnick, officially announced his final twenty-six-man squad tasked with leading the nation’s campaign in North America. This upcoming tournament marks the eighth time in history that Austria has successfully qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals, with their last appearance dating back to 1998.
The newly unveiled selection consists of a highly competitive group of players currently active across Europe’s top domestic leagues. Headlining the squad is the veteran Real Madrid defender and national captain David Alaba, who has long served as the symbolic figurehead and foundational pillar of modern Austrian football on the international circuit. Joining him in the defensive ranks is Tottenham Hotspur defender Kevin Danso, who is notably the sole representative from an English Premier League club included in the selection.
In the attacking department, Rangnick has placed his faith in the immense experience of Marko Arnautović. The thirty-seven-year-old forward, who currently plays his club football for Red Star Belgrade, represents the most experienced member of the squad. Arnautović holds the country’s all-time international appearance record, having earned 132 caps for his country, whilst also cementing his legacy as Austria’s most prolific goalscorer with forty-seven international goals to his name.
The tactical spine of the Austrian squad features several high-profile midfielders who are regular fixtures in the German Bundesliga. Amongst the notable selections are Bayern Munich’s combative midfielder Konrad Laimer, Borussia Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer, and RB Leipzig’s energetic midfielder Christoph Baumgartner.
In addition to this experienced core, the final roster reflects a strategic integration of emerging talent. Rangnick has chosen to include two recently naturalised dual-national midfielders, Paul Wanner of PSV Eindhoven and Carney Chukwuemeka of Borussia Dortmund, both of whom committed their international futures to Austria earlier this year and have been fast-tracked into the senior tournament setup. However, the selection process was not without its difficulties, as long-term injury layoffs ultimately caused tournament heartbreak for regular central defenders Gernot Trauner of Feyenoord and Maximilian Wöber of Werder Bremen, both of whom were deemed short of peak match fitness.
Austria has been drawn into a highly competitive Group J, where they will share the stage with the reigning world champions, Argentina. The Austrian campaign is scheduled to begin on 17 June 2026, when they will face tournament debutants Jordan in their opening group fixture. Following this encounter, the squad will travel to Texas, where they are scheduled to go head-to-head against Argentina on 22 June 2026. Austria will then conclude their Group J fixtures on 27 June 2026, with a final group-stage match against Algeria.
Goalkeepers: Patrick Pentz (Brøndby IF), Alexander Schlager (FC Salzburg), Florian Wiegele (Viktoria Plzeň).
Defenders: David Affengruber (Elche), David Alaba (Real Madrid), Kevin Danso (Tottenham Hotspur), Marco Friedl (Werder Bremen), Philipp Lienhart (SC Freiburg), Phillipp Mwene (Mainz 05), Stefan Posch (Mainz 05), Alexander Prass (TSG Hoffenheim), Michael Svoboda (Venezia).
Midfielders: Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig), Carney Chukwuemeka (Borussia Dortmund), Florian Grillitsch (SC Braga), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich), Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund), Xaver Schlager (RB Leipzig), Romano Schmid (Werder Bremen), Alessandro Schöpf (Wolfsberger AC), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig), Paul Wanner (PSV Eindhoven), Patrick Wimmer (VfL Wolfsburg).
Forwards: Marko Arnautović (Red Star Belgrade), Michael Gregoritsch (Augsburg), Saša Kalajdžić (LASK).
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